Greek Texts & Translations

43.3The mother of this boy, men of the jury, being the nearest of kin to Hagnias of Oeon, ^note had the estate of Hagnias adjudged to her according to your laws; and of those who then made counter-claims to this estate not one ventured to swear that he was nearer of kin than the lady (for it was admitted by all that the inheritance belonged to her by virtue of nearest kinship), 43.4but Glaucus of Oeon and Glaucon his brother presented themselves, having concocted a spurious will, and Theopompus, the father of Macartatus here, joined with them in getting up this whole scheme, and was their witness in most of the depositions that were put in. The will which they then produced was proved to be spurious, and they not only lost their case, but went out of court completely disgraced. 43.5And Theopompus, the father of Macartatus here, although he was in town when the herald asked by proclamation whether anyone wished to lay claim to the estate of Hagnias by virtue of kinship or under a will, or to deposit security for the costs of such claim, yet did not venture to make a deposit, but by his own act gave judgement against himself that he had no conceivable claim on the estate of Hagnias. 43.6But, although the mother of this boy here became possessed of the inheritance, since she had prevailed in the suit over all those who disputed her claim, these men are abominable, as you see, and imagine that they need obey neither your laws nor the decisions of your courts, but they are trying by fair means or foul once more to take away from the lady the inheritance which you awarded to her. 43.7A conspiracy was formed, and a written agreement entered into, and deposited with Medeius of Hagnus, ^note by Theopompus, the father of Macartatus here, and by Glaucon and the Glaucus who was worsted in the former suit; and they added to themselves as a fourth another of their friends (Eupolemus was his name). All these men, having in common formed their plot, cited the lady before the archon for the adjudication of claims to the estate of Hagnias, declaring that the law prescribed that if anyone wished to enter a claim, citation should be made of the one to whom the estate had been adjudged and who had it in his possession. 43.8And when the archon brought the case into court, and the trial was to be held, they had everything cleverly arranged for the trial, and in particular the water which was to measure their speeches was four times as much as that allowed to us. For the archon, men of the jury, was obliged to pour into the water-clock an amphora ^note of water for each claimant, and three choes ^note for the reply; 43.9so that I, who acted as pleader for the lady, was not only unable to explain to the jurymen the relationship and other matters as clearly as I could have wished, but could not even defend myself against the smallest fraction of the lies which they told about us; for I had but a fifth part of the water. Their scheme was this: to tell a wholly false story about us, but to back one another up and agree in everything. 43.10So, since they had formed their plot in this way, and each backed up the other's charges against us, when the four ballot-boxes ^note were set out according to law, the jurymen, naturally enough, as I think, were deceived and could not agree with one another, and being led astray by this trick, they voted each as chance determined. And there were a very few more votes—some three or four—in the box of Theopompus than in that of the lady.

43.11This, then, was what took place at that time. But when this boy was born, and it seemed a fitting time, I, being in no way incensed at what had happened, but considering that the former jurymen had met with a very natural experience, introduced this boy here to the clansmen of Hagnias in the interest of Eubulides, seeing that the boy was the son of his daughter, in order that the family might not become extinct. 43.12For the elder Eubulides, men of the jury, who was next of kin to Hagnias, prayed to the gods above all else that a son might be born to him as a daughter had been, the mother of this boy; but since he failed of this hope and not a single male child was born to him, his next dearest wish was that a son of his daughter should be adopted into his own family and that of Hagnias and should be introduced to the members of his clan; for he thought, men of the jury, that of his surviving relatives this boy was nearest to him, and that in this way their house would best be preserved and kept from extinction.